


One Year Later

by americanithink



Category: Scooby Doo - All Media Types, Scooby-Doo! (Live-action Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dorks in Love, F/M, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Post-Canon, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:53:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24591862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/americanithink/pseuds/americanithink
Summary: Patrick fell in love with Velma years before he met her. And only minutes before he knew her name.
Relationships: Velma Dinkley/Patrick Wisely
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	One Year Later

**Author's Note:**

> I'm over here writing the fic I wanted to see in the world.  
> Aka I watched Scooby Doo 2 and demand more Patrick/Seth Green

Days had always seemed to blend together for Patrick. He often mistook Fridays for Mondays and Tuesdays for Wednesdays. Even purchasing portable and wall calendars didn’t really help him keep a solid state of mind. For Patrick, time was a concept he unintentionally paid little attention to.

One would assume having an entire museum to keep in order would assist Patrick's focus on what was around him. Yet, to him, it felt like he was being paid the most to do the least. The museum basically ran itself, with the citizens of Coolsville having an incessant interest in crimes and the criminals behind them. 

Simply, the world around Patrick was indistinct because he lacked something to keep his focus on. Everything that compelled him failed to be challenging, and nothing outside criminology seemed to hold his interest for longer than a month. 

That problem disappeared when Patrick first witnessed a group of four, plus a dog, being interviewed on the News. They called themselves Mystery Incorporated. Patrick watched as a blonde man, dressed in mainly blue, spoke confidently about their recently solved case. There was a woman dressed in purple with the same color hair as Patrick. Then beside her was the dog and a tall man in green. Patrick felt a twinge of discomfort, thinking how the man would tower so much above himself. 

Any unpleasant feelings and thoughts disappeared when the camera cut to the girl on the end wearing an orange sweater. She had wide glasses and a bob haircut matched with bangs. The woman had a cute and pretty look to her. And though Patrick never thought orange was a particularly flattering color, he found a new liking for it. 

But it wasn’t the woman’s looks that captured Patrick’s attention, it was what she was saying. She explained how they solved the mystery as if it was so clear. As if she figured it all out in her sleep. 

Patrick was still mesmerized by the genius that she spoke, that he almost missed her name. The interviewer introduced the group one last time before cutting to commercials: Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Scooby Doo, Shaggy Rogers. And then there was Velma Dinkley. 

“Velma,” Patrick repeated without even realizing it. This name would persistently pass his mind the years to come. She became a type of celebrity crush for Patrick, someone he’d never have a chance with but couldn’t help daydreaming about.

Patrick tuned in for every interview with Mystery Inc. when he had the chance. If it wasn’t for his dedication to hearing about crimes and the disguised offenders, it was to witness Velma proudly tell her thought process that ended with catching the criminal. 

For Patrick, days and hours no longer were identical. He was, for once, focused on reality and felt connected to the world around him. All because there was a woman on the TV who he couldn’t get out of his mind. 

When Patrick was informed Mystery Inc. was interested in donating a few items to the museum, he was shocked above anything else. Sure, Coolsville was their hometown, and their history traced back there. But Patrick never expected the famous mystery solving gang to be considerate enough to reach out to his criminology museum. 

Patrick was under the impression only Fred would stop by the museum to sign off the ownership of the “monsters.” However, when he went to the front, he found Velma standing there too. Seeing her in real life only increased his adoration. 

“Hi, I’m Patrick Wisely, curator of the museum,” he always found it easy to appear calm when he was truly and deeply anxious. A skill that came in handy when living in a town like Coolsville.

Fred did most of the talking, but Patrick only heard half of what he said. He was too busy trying to calm down his nerves. Only a few steps away was the brains behind Mystery Inc., the woman who stole his heart all those years ago.

When Velma looked up and their eyes met, both glanced away quickly. Patrick didn’t know if she blushed or if there was a hint of mutual attraction. Yet, he could feel his cheeks turn a light shade of pink.

The meeting went quickly, the three read over a few things and signed a couple more. Before Patrick knew it, he was sharing farewells.

“It was nice to meet you,” Velma said while following Fred out of the museum. She smiled at Patrick, and he sheepishly smiled back. 

“And to you,” he replied once he was able to find his voice. But she was already four steps down the staircase. Patrick prided himself on keeping his composure through stress inducing situations, but the art seemed to leave him when he needed it the most.

The two only spoke for a brief moment, but the instant overwhelmed Patrick’s mind and all those years of one-sided interest suddenly seemed sensible.

Velma was the woman of his dreams: always the smartest person in the room, adorable yet serious, and, from what he’d gathered, sweet enough to rot a tooth.   
Being a woman like herself, Patrick was sure she constantly dealt with suitors. He wanted to make sure Velma understood she meant more to him than just a pretty, and famous, face. Patrick knew someone like Velma had high standards, and he prayed he could meet every single one of them. She deserved someone who could.

When Patrick realized he would be able to talk to her again during the opening night of the exhibit, he knew it was his big shot. He started researching how to, and how to not, properly flirt.

Before bed, Patrick practiced what he’d say to her in the mirror. While doing so, he delightfully remembered the symposium on syntactic reasoning in the criminal brain he already planned to attend. Patrick could not hold back his smile, knowing Velma would adore it.

Eventually, the opening night came and Patrick felt like he was going to puke. He saw Velma walk into the exhibit, and everything else in the room became minuscule. He reminded himself that he’d practiced this moment repeatedly at his house. He knew what he’d say and how he’d say it.

First, he’d just have to walk over casually, as if he was headed in that direction already. But then he tripped. Patrick tripped and his instinct since he was a kid was to jump forward while doing so. A habit his older brother once taught him: “If you jump forward while you fall, then it’ll look like you did it on purpose to be funny.” So that’s what Patrick did, and he regretted it instantly.

Yet, he got back up and continued in hopes Velma didn’t notice.

He looked back at her, and to his surprise, she was staring right at him. Unphased and looking just as lovely as ever.

Velma’s expression and lack of judgment in her tone gave Patrick false confidence in how the conversation would end. He asked her to the symposium and was already prepared to tell her what time he’d pick her up. But, unfortunately, she turned him down. And to make the event worse, the museum was soon attacked by a new masked villain. 

Patrick was unsure which he was more upset about: being robbed or being rejected by the perfect woman.

That was all a year ago, and the Patrick that went home that night with his hopes tossed in the trash would have never predicted where he’d end up.

The TV projected a paused image of a murder mystery film Patrick rented earlier that night. The sound of popcorn being made was heard throughout the house. He could still feel the head that was resting on his shoulder two minutes prior. The warmth remained in the side of the blanket that was now vacant.

“Did you want anything to drink?” Velma popped her head through the doorway.

Patrick smiled while shaking his head slightly, “No, thank you though.”

“Great!” She walked in holding a large, clear serving bowl. It was decorated with small menorahs and even smaller Star of Davids. The holidays were approaching and Patrick happily pulled out all his decorations along with his themed dishware. Velma found it all delightfully over the top.

Every other guy she had ever dated, or at least went on a date with, never expressed any sort of passion. Truthfully, the only man who she’d ever met with a strong, true love was Shaggy over food. Fred was invested in things, sure, but not the way Velma was. She would find a new love and hold on to it, let it consume her mind. Velma felt a little absurd a few times, but her friends never made her feel crazy.

Neither did Patrick, but for a different reason. He didn’t see this habit as odd because, simply, he did it too. But, he had to admit to Velma the characteristic took a stronger form after beginning to date her. The two now had each other to talk about things that others would claim to be over discussed. Patrick and Velma found sanctuary in one another.

Soon, Velma sat back where she once was and kept the bowl on her lap. Patrick wrapped an arm around her shoulders and grabbed some popcorn with his other hand.

“This is nice,” Velma commented.

“I couldn’t agree more, but should we put the movie back on?”

She sighed, “If you want, but they kind of made it obvious who the killer was.”

“Oh yeah, totally,” Patrick laughed, “But just to make sure we are on the same page… Who are you thinking it was?”

“Well,” Velma shifted in her seat, something Patrick noted her to do before explaining something, “Notice how Amy kept directing the detective to Mister James, yet Mister James clearly was visiting his wife’s grave when the crime was committed. Well, Amy has a little sister who only appeared once through this whole film. And during that one moment, Amy barely allowed her to speak, despite her being the very least fifteen and able to talk for herself. The movie threw in a bunch of other suspicious side characters, but they’re just there to make the audience forget about Amy’s odd behavior.”

“So, the sister did it and Amy is helping her cover it up?” delight was hinted in his tone.

“Precisely,” Velma put another piece of popcorn in his mouth, “But you knew that already.”

Patrick only smiled and found himself staring at his girlfriend. She glanced over at him and shared his expression.

“What is it?”

“I know you get told this every day of your life, but you’re so amazing.” The way Patrick felt for Velma was nearly impossible to put into words. He wanted to hold her and protect her, but he also knew she’d need her space. Plus, she could easily handle herself.

“I actually rarely get told that,” she admitted shyly. Then lowered her head to look down at her lap.

“Velma,” Patrick didn’t know how to say what he was thinking, but he attempted nonetheless. He knew it was what Velma deserved. “Being with you has given me a new understanding of life. You make me feel sane in a world where sanity seems to be a taboo.”

She looked back at him with a grin.

“Expressing what I truly mean is,” he bit at his bottom lip self-consciously, “hard, but I want to.”

“I know, Patrick,” Velma said while gazing into his eyes, “And I feel the same way.” She shifted again, “And that’s why I’ve been thinking.”

Patrick furrowed his brows and he could feel his heart pick up in pace.

“I know we’ve only been dating a year, but,” she smiled like a schoolgirl, “What would you think of marriage?” She paused, “Marrying me?”

“Velma,” he tried to conceal his excitement, in case there was a misunderstanding, “Are you asking me to marry you?”

Velma nodded and her smile turned amused, “Yeah, I guess I am.” She stood up, placed the bowl on the sofa, and took a knee. “Patrick Wisely, will you make me the happiest woman alive and marry me?”

“Yes, of course!” He leaned forward and pulled Velma into a kiss. They spent the rest of the night only focused on each other.

The announcement of the engagement was made public two days later. But the immediate morning following was when they told family and friends. Velma threw out the idea of the bride only having women being in her bridal party. Daphne took the position of Maid of Honor; while Fred and Shaggy were her bridesmen. Scooby was agreed to be the ring barrier, an idea that could likely end poorly.

Velma and Patrick understood some people would claim they were rushing the relationship. But they didn’t need to prove anything. They knew they were made for each other, they deserved to be happy together. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! <3  
> Any kudos and/or comments are greatly appreciated! And if you want more Patrick/Velma fics.. I am very willing to write another. 
> 
> This was kind of a "warm up" fic because I haven't written in a while. Hopefully it was enjoyable.


End file.
